XPS study of MoO3 and WO3 oxide surface modification by low-energy Ar+ ion bombardment

The surface modification of oxides MoO3 and WO3 under irradiation by Ar+ ions with an energy of 3 keV in high vacuum is investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It is shown that under irradiation by Ar+ ions lower and intermediate oxides and unoxidized metals are formed in the surface layers of higher oxides. It is found that the process of ion-beam reduction of the surface of oxides MoO3 and WO3 substantially depends on the irradiation dose and difference in energy of the metal-oxygen bond in oxides. (C) 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim